African Dolls

Pictured here is an African ‘doll’. It is used just as it would be in Western society, where children mimic nursing and caring for infants. They are also used by adults in the performance of specific local, and often ancient, rituals.

These dolls are widely collected and have become increasingly popular; and have also gained the recognition they deserve as works of art.

Ceremonial uses

The Umntfwana is similar to other fertility dolls. They are made by women and have a ceremonial uses related to maturation and identity.

Apparently young Swazi women used them to register their intention or wish to marry to a young man of their choice to whom the object would be presented. Accompanied by family and friends the young girl would often publicly present the object to a prospective partner; acceptance would be signalled by the prospective groom wearing the umntfwana from his waist.

It is also thought that these objects were offered to prospective husbands to represent or evoke possible future children.

Form versus function

This Umntfwana is an elongated figure; the limbs here seem to be represented by animal hairs skilfully bound at the top with a thick coil of wire. Just below the binding equal lengths of white beads are strung onto the hairs making up the body of the object.

Hundreds of red plastic beads are threaded onto the top of the doll, resulting in what resembles a head or mop of hair. Coarse flat fibre completes the design and forms a loop, which can be used to tie the figure to a person’s waist. This object’s stylised, simplified form has been enriched with the rich textural contrasts evident in the variety of natural and synthetic materials used.

Contrasting bead colours enrich the visual appeal of the object. The red head area contrasts richly with the white beads used in the body area, the eye is further led through the object by the repeated use of red, green, yellow and blue strands of beads that hang from the ‘neck’ of the figure. The coloured beads contrast with the fibres and animal hair used, adding richness to the overall visual impact of the object.

The Umntfwana dolls are used in many ways aside from their commercial, artistic charm. Unfortunately, there is not a lot written on the Swati people and their artefacts. Please let us know if you have some research you can add.